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[Page E981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF AY YOUNG AND THE BATTERY TOUR
______
HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 23, 2020
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize AY Young, an
entertainer, singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, entrepreneur, and
leader in the fight for a more sustainable world. On September 18th,
the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations announced
that Mr. Young had been named one of the U.N.'s seventeen Youth World
Leaders, a position he will hold for a two-year term. Standing out as
the only American on that list, Mr. Young was then placed on Energy
News Network's annual ``40 Under 40'' list, which recognizes young
leaders paving the way for a clean energy economy. While these honors
have shined an international spotlight on Mr. Young, his musical
talents are rooted on street corners in the heart of America.
Mr. Young grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. A home-schooled Eagle
Scout, he began writing poetry at the young age of fourteen, drawing
attention to topics far beyond his years. In fact, his earliest
compositions brought focus to the ``Troost Divide,'' a deep and
painfully visible scar left by decades of redlining and a lasting
symbol of the residential segregation and economic disparities that
persist in Kansas City to this very day. Mr. Young and his trademark
fedora soon became fixtures of Kansas City street corners from the
River Market to the Plaza. His shows have always been interactive and
engaging, looking more like spontaneous parties than standard routines.
In 2012, Mr. Young appeared on The X Factor, receiving a ``Yes'' vote
from all four judges. However, despite this noteworthy accomplishment,
Mr. Young was still unable to find a manager or record label willing to
carry his career to the next rung on the conventional ladder to
stardom. Unfazed, he went back to the street corners, this time not
just in Kansas City but across the country, garnering a grassroots
following while opening for the likes of Wiz Khalifa, SHAGGY, T-Pain,
Flo-Rida, Aaron Carter, and Wyclef Jean. But Mr. Young wasn't just
busking his way across America to earn his keep; this too was simply an
opening act. After learning that over a billion people on Earth lack
access to electricity, Mr. Young decided to turn his tour into the
start of a much deeper, much more difficult, journey. Mr. Young's tour,
it turned out, would be powered entirely by renewal energy.
Thus was born the Battery Tour, a global movement developed by Mr.
Young and his enterprising business partner Thor Dietrich. Showcasing
musical artists alongside innovative new technologies designed to
address global crises, the Battery Tour takes the forces of a musical
experience, sustainability education, and a humanitarian mission and
unites them into a whole that is more powerful than any of its parts.
Mr. Young has hosted and performed more than 800 shows around the
world--each a unique fusion of original solos, interactive covers, and
personal requests--powered only by renewable energy. His performances
are pure collaboration--collaboration between artists, collaboration
between music and technology, collaboration between Mr. Young and his
audiences. If you have a request or want a turn at the mic, he will
make it happen. Mr. Young calls his fans ``outlets'' because they
provide the power that drives both his shows and the causes he
champions. They see a world and a way of life in need of drastic
change. ``Outlets'' across the globe have faith, I have faith, the U.N.
has faith, that Mr. Young can help make it happen.
The Battery Tour is a bold, innovative, and powerful idea, aimed at
leveraging creative passion in pursuit of a societal goal, while
leveraging a societal goal in pursuit of creative development. If the
Battery Tour expands its reach and proves successful in raising
awareness the world over, significant innovations will be seen in the
realms of sustainable energy, music, and live performance. And they're
just getting started. Young and Dietrich's newest addition to the
Battery Tour global brand is the creation of an app that promotes and
incentivizes small acts of sustainable altruism among their many
``outlets.'' They hope the Tour will one day feature a large variety of
artists who can each be fully compensated for their work as they
promote sustainability on the world stage.
Madam Speaker, please join me, a proud Fifth District, and
``outlets'' around the world in congratulating Mr. Young on these well-
deserved honors and wishing him luck as he goes forth as an ambassador
for our country, the 193 members of the United Nations, and a better,
cleaner, more equitable future for all of humanity. Let each of us
aspire to his example and seek to set our talents upon such a noble and
pressing goal. Our unsustainable life is contributing to worldwide
inequality and condemning future generations to build their lives in a
world on fire. So, to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, l say
this: if we truly want to honor Mr. Young and his leadership, it's time
to plug in.
____________________
